Color-shift/Iridescent paints?

[Sawkinator]

Lately I've been looking into color-shifting paints, and even after doing a little digging in the Arena and the internet I'm still not sure about which brands are better or could achieve the effects I have in mind. I'd like to be able to get something like you'd find on a scarab beetle or an oil slick, but I feel a lot of 'iridescent' paints will only look pearly or metallic - they shimmer, but they don't change color with the viewing angle 

Does anyone have any guidance to offer me? Or pictures of projects where you've used color-shifting paint? (ideally at several different angles)

[CarnationTwirl]

look for interference colours, those are the ones that look different colours depending on how you look at them.
http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/color/fluid/fldinter1.php
http://www.liquitex.com/InterferenceColors/

[Reiya]

I know that sometimes these are referred to as duo chrome paints. I hope that helps you some!

[Sawkinator]

I hadn't heard of the duo chrome term, I'll look into it. 

Are there any brands of interference paint that could be found at a place like Michael's? Or is it something that can only be found online?
I've also wondered about car paint... the effects look very nice, but who knows if it's safe on pony vinyl. 

[Diamond]

Auto paint will not work well with ponies, anything that is an oil base will eventually eat the plastic.  There are some paints out there that work.  I know some model horses folks use em but you can use oil base on them. 

[coinoperatedgirl]

I use Golden's interference paints.  Depending on what color they're used on top of, they can be very subtle or really vivid.  I have found that I like them better airbrushed on rather than brushed, but sponged gradients are very nice as well.  I usually buy mine at the craft store.

Purple over black:
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This was sponged on her legs and is actually much more visit than it shows in the pictures.

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Brushed on for his shorts - it doesn't brush on very well and the shows a lot of brush strokes.

Gold over black:
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The stars were brushed on.

Purple over pink (on her wings):
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I believe that I used blue interference paint on her symbol as well.

[Diamond]

Very cool CoinOp, have you ever tried the pastel pigments you can mix into paints and the like?

[coinoperatedgirl]

Very cool CoinOp, have you ever tried the pastel pigments you can mix into paints and the like?

I've yet to see them in any of the local craft stores around here, so I haven't had a chance to give them a try.  I'll have to hunt around the artist paint aisle and see if they carry them.

[cleverLC]

In re: Golden's interference paints, I only found them at art stores like Utrecht's and Pearl.  Craft stores don't really have that.

[coinoperatedgirl]

In re: Golden's interference paints, I only found them at art stores like Utrecht's and Pearl.  Craft stores don't really have that.

Really?  I buy mine at the local Hobby Lobby and AC Moore.

[CarnationTwirl]

If it's a smaller location of a chain arts and crafts store, see if the items you want are listed online as part of what they carry (and if they do) ask your location to order it in for you.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I don't think I've seen the interference paints at my hobby lobby, even though I do believe they do have golden paints... I have to look again. What does the containers for those paints look like?

[coinoperatedgirl]

They look almost like regular craft paint, but the bottles are teeny and in a whitish plastic.  They're usually with the artist paints.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

They look almost like regular craft paint, but the bottles are teeny and in a whitish plastic.  They're usually with the artist paints.

I'll have to double check when I got back. And it looks like the liquitex is in shorter container.. I'll have to remember that

[Sawkinator]

Ooh, those still look gorgeous in photographs, CoinOp! I don't have an airbrush, sadly... I'll just have to make do.

Guess I'll be looking at every craft store in the area. I don't think I've seen Golden at the local Michael's but I'll double-check. It's kind of a shame, they used to have tons of artist-grade paints. 

I remember someone a while ago who used Spaz Stix paint on a pony (and it looked AMAZING), which is an 'acrylic enamel'. Would that be safe over time, since it's acrylic-based?